Blanche Young Lecture/ Trunk Show

At our Dixie Quilt Guild meeting on Saturday we were honored to have Blanche Young as our guest Lecturer/ Trunk Show.

Blanche is one of our local quilt celebrities, who resides in Hurricane, Utah only 18 miles outside of St. George.
We are very impressed that Blanche still donates her time and energy to traveling and lecturing in behalf of the love of quilting. She will be 91 years old this year.

Thank you for honoring us so, Blanche.

Blanche came with her daughter Lynette Bingham, who provided assistance and helped in the lecture.

Lynette is the owner of Main Street Quilt Cottage, a wonderful quilt store on your way into Zion National Park.

Main Street Quilt Cottage

72 N. Main

Hurricane, Utah (435) 635-4748

Blanche has been teaching quilt making since 1970. She began with Adult Education classes in Southern California. She was told at the time not to expect much in attendance. When her classes filled, she knew quilting had a future.

A sampler quilt was one of the first quilts taught as part of Blanche's classes. At the time she used a 5" binding.

Blanche loves traditional quilts, and developes innovative methods that make complex patterns easier and quicker.

Example of Seminole quilting.

Blanche has been part of the Houston Quilt Festival since it's inception in 1979, when they met in the basement of a church. She has seen so much progress in quilt making in the last 30 years.

Lynette said she felt her mother was the first innovator of the strip piecing method.

Along with her daughters, Blanche is the author of 10 quilt books. Lynette recalled feeling very brave in taking 2,000 copies of their book to Houston in 1979. They ended up with orders for 3,000 more before they left.

Blanche was the Featured Artist at Houston 2001.

In the days before rotary cutters, Blanche used heavy duty scissors to cut her fabrics. This pair would cut through 9 layers of fabric.

Blanche was good friends with Doreen Speckmann, who passed away in 1999.

This was a tribute quilt to her dear friend who said the only rule in quilting should be to never sew in the nude.

Doreen was known as a great artist, but did you also know she was the creator of the "chicken pincushion"? How many of us have either made one, received one, or seen them at every quilt booth or trade show we have attended.

Lynette said she and her family began collecting antique quilts when they sold for much less than they do today.

This 1853 antique quilt was picked up for $350.

Blanche has always been very generous with her time and talents. She has donated 86 raffle quilts. She made Shimmering Star again for Lynette because it was one of her favorites.

Lynette and Blanch share the many changes they have seen in the quilting world over the years. They ended the lecture saying "It's been a fun ride", and

shared a short story.

In the beginning of her quilt career Blanche's husband (who ended up traveling with her and becoming her biggest supporter) said "Don't get too involved in this quilting thing. It's just a passing fancy."

One of Blanche Young's books: Traditions With A Twist